


Variations on a Theme

by SuburbanSun



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: (in reverse order), Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, Inspired by Art, M/M, Pre-Canon, Sharing a Bed, cosmic love exchange 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-01 01:42:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20250091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuburbanSun/pseuds/SuburbanSun
Summary: Two interludes of waking up together under two very different circumstances: one past, one future.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [grasonas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grasonas/gifts).

> Written for the Cosmic Love Exchange 2019 for [gra-sonas](https://gra-sonas.tumblr.com/), who very kindly provided me with a work of art when I asked for inspiration. 
> 
> Painting is "Kissenland rot" by Peter Wever.

_Who could ever leave me, darling?  
_ _But who could stay?_

Michael came awake slowly, nuzzling his nose against the warm skin at the back of Alex’s neck. He felt boneless, blissful in a way he hadn’t in ages. Certainly not since the last time Alex had come knocking on the door of the Airstream while on leave. 

He also felt disoriented, like he wasn’t sure if he’d been asleep for minutes or hours or maybe days, even. The shades were down, but when he craned his neck to squint at them over Alex’s sleeping form, he could tell it was still dark out. Good. Maybe they had a little more time.

With a soft sigh, Michael let his head rest against the pillow again and allowed himself to tighten his hold around Alex’s waist, just barely. Just enough so his chest was flush against Alex’s back. Just enough to feel like this could be the time he’d stay.

“Mm. Time is it?”

Michael stiffened, even as a shiver ran up his spine at the throaty sound of Alex’s voice. He peeked at the clock on the other side of the trailer.

“Almost two.” Then, with a smirk: “Guess I really wore you out, huh?” 

Alex chuckled. “I spent 15 straight hours on three different airplanes yesterday. I’m surprised I stayed awake long enough for us both to get off.”

Something inside Michael burned bright at the thought that he’d been Alex’s very first stop once he’d landed in Roswell. 

“I can put on a pot of coffee,” Michael offered. “Get a little caffeine in you and bet you’ll be up for another round.” 

Alex hesitated, and in the breath of a moment, a wild thought entered Michael’s head: Had he remembered to buy eggs? He thought he might have the last time he was at the store, and it was remotely possible there was a little bacon in his fridge that was still good, too. Maybe after coffee, he could cook them a real breakfast, and then-- 

“You know I have to get over to the base, Guerin,” Alex said, and Michael wasn’t hungry anymore, anyway. Still, Alex didn’t make a move to get up.

Michael breathed out a slow exhale, and let his free hand drift upward, slipping through the crook of Alex’s elbow to rest lightly on his wrist. Michael stroked the pads of his fingertips over the skin there. If this was as much time as he was going to get, he wanted to make the most of it, get as close as he could.

“I really ought to get going.” Alex’s voice came softer, sleepier, and Michael almost thought he could feel him press back into his embrace. He bowed his head so that his lips brushed feather-light against the nape of Alex’s neck, toward the slope of his shoulder. 

“Mmm,” Michael hummed. 

“Gonna get up in just a minute,” Alex murmured, but then his breathing went quiet and even, any tension in his body melting away. 

By the morning, Michael knew Alex would be gone, only the faint scent of him left on the pillow. He let himself drift off to sleep, anyway. 

In his dreams, Alex always stayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics at the top are from [The Archer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KpKc3C9V3w) by Taylor Swift.


	2. Chapter 2

_ Now I see you, 'til kingdom come you're the one I want   
_ _ To see me for all the stupid shit I've done _

The alarm was loud, especially for something all the way on the other side of the bed, and Michael burrowed deeper into the covers to block out the sound. When it kept up its noisy, rhythmic beep, he slid his hand over Alex’s waist and pinched the sensitive skin at his hip. 

“Wha-- ow,” Alex said, his voice muffled by pillows. 

“Turn that thing off, or else.”

“Or else what?” He reached out and fumbled for his phone on the bedside table, finally managing to silence the alarm, then drew his arms back into his chest. “Better?” he mumbled.

“Or else I might change my mind about today. And yes.” 

Alex chuckled, low and sleepy and familiar, and Michael stroked his palm over the skin he’d pinched. “You mean that’s all it would take?” With a grunt, Michael pinched him again, then rolled close enough to bite lightly at his shoulder. 

“Nah.” Michael let his head fall back against the pillow, scooting close enough to rub his nose against the soft hair at the back of Alex’s head. “Gonna take a hell of a lot more than that. I just wish we didn’t have to get up so early.” 

Alex reached down to where Michael’s hand was still playing at his hip and grasped it with his own. He pulled it up towards his mouth. “Maybe if _ somebody,_” he began, brushing a kiss against his knuckles. “Hadn’t kept us up so late,” another kiss, “we wouldn’t be so tired today.” 

“Mm, I seem to recall _ you _ being the instigator of that, actually.”

“Is that so?”

“Mmhmm.” Michael yawned. “And if you’d rather, next time we can skip the part where--” 

“No.” It wasn’t quite Alex’s Captain voice, but it was close enough that Michael bit back a laugh.

“Aye aye, Cap’n.” 

Alex stretched, arching his back against Michael, who took the opportunity to curl closer around him. They had to get up soon-- Isobel would be at the cabin bearing coffees and a thick binder of to-do lists before 7-- but he couldn’t help but want to steal just a few more moments alone. 

“We really ought to get going,” Alex said, traces of a yawn in his voice. 

“You afraid of Isobel’s wrath if we’re not ready when we told her we’d be?” 

“I’ll deny it if you tell her so, but. Yes.”

Michael had to admit he was a little afraid of her wrath, too. He let out a long exhale and tightened his arm around Alex, pressing a kiss to his shoulder before letting go to sit up in bed. Alex shifted onto his back, blinking up at him, and Michael had to swallow down the wave of emotion that threatened to knock him out. He had never, ever felt so at home. 

“We should really get up,” Alex said, breaking the moment, and Michael rolled his eyes fondly as he clambered out of bed. 

“Yeah, yeah.” He yanked on yesterday’s pair of jeans from the floor-- Isobel would be bringing over their suits, anyway-- and headed for the bedroom door. He stopped by the jamb, glancing over his shoulder to where Alex was perched on the side of the bed, focused on putting his prosthetic back on. “Hey, Alex,” he said, his voice soft.

“Yeah?” He looked up, hair a mess, eyebrows raised, the ghost of a smile on his face, and Michael thought his heart might burst from the sight. 

“Let’s go get married.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics at the top are from [3 Rounds and a Sound](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juvwlEO-x2o) by Blind Pilot.

**Author's Note:**

> Want to hang out on Tumblr? I'm [unbreakablejemmasimmons](http://unbreakablejemmasimmons.tumblr.com) over there!


End file.
